The invention is related to mikto-arm star polymers for delivery of therapeutic agents, and more specifically to the delivery of hydrophobic drugs and nutraceuticals used in the treatment of a medical condition and/or as dietary supplements.
Nanogel core star polymers (i.e., star polymers having a cross-linked polymer core and polymer arms emanating from, and covalently linked to the core), which have an attractive platform for delivery of drugs and other biologically active cargoes, have been reported (Appel, E. A. et al., “Toward biodegradable nanogel star polymers via organocatalytic ROP”, Chemical Communications, 2012, pp. 6163-6165; Miller, R. D. et al., “Water soluble, biodegradable amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles and the molecular environment of hydrophobic encapsulates: Consistency between simulation and experiment”, Polymer, 2015, volume 79, pp. 255-261). Ubiquinone (CoQ10) and its derivatives represent an important class of nutraceuticals, proven to enhance statin and breast cancer therapies. However, the efficacy of CoQ10 is diminished upon direct administration to the patient due to its poor bioavailability. Drug delivery vehicles provide means to overcome this limitation by providing improved solubility and targeted delivery of the cargo. While nanogel-core star polymers present an attractive candidate for CoQ10 delivery, the cargo loading capacity was found to be low, averaging around 3.2 wt % or less based on total weight of the loaded star polymer. A need exists for star polymers having improved loading capacity of hydrophobic cargoes.